Perfect Homemade Applesauce

• servings: 4 cups
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

4 pounds (1.8kg) crisp sweet apples, rinsed, 8 large apples

One 3-inch cinnamon stick or 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, fresh orange juice, or apple cider vinegar

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1 to 2 whole star anise, optional

Brown sugar, honey, maple syrup, or other sweetener to taste, optional

Directions

Peel apples (optional, see headnote above). Remove the apple cores and cut apples into large chunks or wedges.

Place the apples, cinnamon stick, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and star anise into the bottom of a large, heavy pot. Add 1/4 cup of water, then stir the apples around the pot a few times.

Cover the pot with its lid and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the apples are very soft, 25 to 35 minutes. As the apples cook, check to make sure the pot is not dry. If it is, add more water and reduce the heat slightly.

Remove the lid, let the apples cool for a few minutes, and then taste the applesauce. If you would like to add a sweetener, add it to taste. Start with a teaspoon and then add more if needed.

Mash or blend the apples into your desired consistency. If you leave the apple skins on, a food mill fitted with the medium disk quickly separates the applesauce from the skins. You can also pass the sauce through a mesh strainer to separate the skins from the sauce.

The applesauce will thicken as it cools, but if it seems too watery, return it to a pot and simmer until reduced slightly.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/4 cup
• Calories: 60
• Total Fat: 0.2g
• Saturated Fat: 0g
• Cholesterol: 0mg
• Sodium: 1.3mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 15.5g
• Dietary Fiber: 2.7g
• Total Sugars: 11.6g
• Protein: 0.3g